Motor-car body.



R. S. CARTER.

MOTOR CAR BODVY. APPLICIATIOYN FILED JUNE 3. 1910.

Patented July 6,1915.-

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To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, RUSSELL S. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city; county, and State of New York have invented the new and useful Improvements in Motor-Car Bodies described in the following specification, which is a full, true, and concise description of the said improvements, as re- The object of the invention is more par-' ticularly to provide a dismountable or removable window casing, adapted to be attached to the wall of the-motor-car body to close the space between the same and the roof or top of the car and, more especially, to be attachedt'o the top of the door of the motor car to form a structural extension. thereof reaching to the roof, so that entrance and exit may be had independently of such other means as may be used to close inthe remainderof body and. without disturbing thev same, the car body being thus provided withm'eans by which it can be transformed from an open car body to a completely closed body, andin either condi tionpresentinganeat and attractive appearance. These 'and'other objects and advantages which will be apparent to those familia with this art are attained by the embodiments of the invention hereinafter described as well as by the particular embodiment thereof which is taken for illustration in the accompanying drawings;

Referring to the latter, Figure 1 is a side elevation of .a portionof a motor car body provided witlj aso called cape-top of familiar' design'and using this invention; Fig. 2'; is a .vrti'cal' section through .the door theroflshowing the window casing of this invention placethereon; Fig. 3 is an en larged top plan of the door and its joint member; Figi; is a detail in vertical section of a'modified form of separable joint,

Specification of Letters Patent.

later described; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailof the joint in vertical section of Fig.1 2 showing thewindow sash ope-n; Fig; 6 is a similar view showing the casing replaced by a cap rail and also showing the latching. device in its operated position; Fig. 7 is a vertical. section of the joint between the door and window casing taken in the trans" verse plane of the lock or latching means and in the normal position of these parts;

and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through the latching 'means in the same condition;

The cape-top shownini ig. 1 is formed of fabric impervious to water and is adapted to be supported in the position shown, by the usual bows and forward. and rear staysl,

forming a continuous roof, which can be collapsed or removed in the well-known manner.

space between the end of the roof and therear body wall. The margins of the roof i p s ltselr are brought down n a curve on either.

side forming the usual short valance 3,

the latter being buttoned onto the forward and rear stays in the obvious and familiar way, With other klHClS of collapsible or re Patented Jane, 1915,;

Application filed June a, 1910. Serial No. 564,755.

A rearcurtain 2 usually closes'the movable roofs or tops, similar or'equivalent means are correspondingly adapted to the roof supporting structure, to close .in the open space referred to. The means contemplated by the present invention for this purpose is applicable with. slight modifica tion to any of the existing types of collapsi' ble roofs or inclosures andconsists of a-removable side-closing section in the form' of a window casing stwhich holds a transparent pane 5 and is adaptedto be mounted by means of a separable joint upon the upper margin ofthe side wall of the body, so that it ,will meet or register wit'h thereof or valance 3 in' a satisfactory storm-proof manner. Preferably "such, window-casing is mounted on the hinged portionti of the side wall, constituting "the door of, 1 the ear, 1 as illustrated, in which 'casefi-t corresponds in width" to the width'oftlie top margin of-the door,'and is proportioned to swing-freely as a part of: the door itself, under the-hanging edge of the valance" 3-,;but without engagement with any rigid framing-ordoor j'amb" as customarily eniployedfor doors, though such a jamb or jamb extension can be employed if desired. The casing may be made of any suitable material, and in one or several parts, as preferred, and the trans arent' pane may be permanently fastened 't erein or held in a sash such as indicated at 7,

which is hinged in the casing after the man ner of ordinary window sashes, so that the window can be opened byswinging the sash outwardly as in'F-ig. 5 of-the-drawings' An extension sash holder suited for this style of window is shown at 81in the same figure. When the casing is-made of wood, the pieces forming the sill and "lintel thereof are fastened to the'stiles by usual mortise'joints and are likewise joined by means of long bolts 9, contained in vertical holes in the inv terior of the stiles, so that all the members door 16 in the rigid manner; required for the. purposes of this inventioli'is produced by are thus bound together providing a rigid frame well adapted to withstand moisture as well as rough usage without distortion. The mounting of the casing upon the wall or two interlocking joint members 10 and 11, one of which is formed on or fastened to the bottom of the sill of the window casing,

while the other is correspondingly secured or formed onthe upper margin or edge of the door, the engagement between the two being produced by sliding the one upon the other, longitudinally or in a direction parallel to the window sill and the plane of the engaging faces of the joint. Ifhe upper member 10 is fitted to the bottom of the sill so as .to be flush with its inside and outside faces as shown-in Figs. 2 and 5, and clamped thereon by means of screws in addition to thestile bolts 9 above referred to, the heads of which are countersunk in the underside of the member, so that it thus forms arigid, structural part-jof the casing itself. The mat hing face of 'this member is provided with an undercut or dove-tailed groove extending its-full length, while the complementarylmember 11 is formed with a corresponding undercut tongue adapted to fit and slide snugly therein; The tongue member of the joint, asshown inFig. 3, is formed in two halvesonsections, one at each end of the joint,both sections being fitted and securely fastened by screws 13 to the top of .the door and in, aline ment with each other, 'so'that in effect they constitute but a single joint member and they are herein so regarded. The arrangement of the member in separate sections provides ample rigidity for the mounting andat' the same" time leaves uncovered an interior'sp'ace, within the body of the door intermediate of the inner and 'outer walls, thereof and between the-two tongue-sections which may thus be'utilized as a receptacle The undercut tongue of the lower joint member is slitted' along 1on gitudinal lines ad acent its lateral margins,

nmaeeo as shown at 12, so that a seriesof taperheaded screwsl arranged as shown can be i used as wedges for-expanding the. marginal portions of the ton ue to oompmsatelfor the wear of the latter and produce a closefitting joint, firmly holding the casing. as a rigid, structural extension of the door itself.

The terminals of the joint member are each fashioned to' conform with the marginal edgesof the'door pro er, when mutually engaged, and when they are made of brass the arrangementgives to the door a neat and ornamental appearance concealing the separable nature of the casing,

The two members are automatically locked against separation by a detent means in the form of 'a spring latch 15 carried in a recess in the upper member 10, which drops and is occupied also by a latch releasingdevice which is adapted to move into engagement with the nose of. the latch and lift it out of the slot, when it. is desired to unlock the joint. The releasing device is composed of a block 17 a of angular cross-section occupying a recess 18 formed in the under face of the joint member at one end thereof as shown in Fig. 8. A projection 17 on the block 17 extends upward into the latch slot at one side of the latch, being appropriately beveled, as is also the latch, so as to have a-wedging and lifting act-ion there- 0n.' Theplunger 19 of a push button 22 is screwed or otherwise fastened to the releasing block as an operating member therefor, and a spring 21 thrusting against the inside ofv the push-button head tends toxhold the block in the retracted position indicated in Fig. 7, wherein the latch is free to enter its latch slot when the joint members are brought into fullengagement. The plunger. 19 is mounted in a; hole in the side ofits joint member, and its-inner end is contained within a horizontal ,bore 20 on the opposite side of-the block, so that the latter isthus supported on the rigid transverse bearings of the plunger, which confine it to the recess, allowing it to move freely back and forth therein as dwired. 1 Itwill be understood that the detent ns 15 could be arranged on the lower member and the releasing means on the upper memberif desired, but

the arrangement described is preferred and,

for convenienceof operation, the'button is llocated to be operated froni the insideof the oor.

Combined with the foregoing-dismount able window casing, the invention includes,

meanesalso a protective covering for the joint member of the door or wall which will complete a joint memes-' 1s similar to that on the "Windowsill, and preferably provided with an exterior surface trim 23 matching the adjacent parts of the body. 'Like the win dowJca'sing, it is adapted for sliding and intel-locking engagement with the tongue member on the door (see Fig. 6), and has a latch 15 of the same construction and arrangement adapted to enter the latch slot 16 when brought into registry therewith and to be ejected therefrom by pressing the button 22. The trim 23 preferably extends over the sides of the joint member with a head or half-round curve to give a desired rail effect and thereby conceal the removable nature of the appliance. By providing the latch releasing device in the lower joint member as stated above to be preferred, the comparatively thin cap-rail is requiredto carry only the flat spring latch, while the several moving parts involved. in the construction of the releasing device are permancntly installed in the door to serve both the cap-rail and the window casing.

The separable joint shown in Fig. 2 is merely a reversal of the joint above de scribed, the undercut groove being shown on the lower member 52 i and the tongue 25 on the upper member;otherwise theccnstriiction and mode of operation 15,

the same, the fact being plain that various forms of interlocking joints may be substi tilted for the one herein specifically described without departing from the invention. The usual windowed side curtain 26 may be used to close in the space between the window casing and the rear curtain 2, being buttoned in place upon the top of the body wall and to the rear or hinge sideof the casing.

I claim:

1. The combination with the wall of a motor car body, of a removable part constituting astructural upward extension of said wall, separable interlocking joint members between said part and wall supporting the former wholly on the latter and preventing movement of said part both upward and to either side, said part being removable and replaceable by sliding it lengthwise of said joint, and a releasable device holding said: part against movement lengthwise of the oint.

2. Thecombina-tion of a motor car body of the type having a collapsible or cape top,

'a portion of the Wall of said body being hinged to constitute a door, a removable part supported wholly by the door and fill ing the space between the same and the roof, separable interlocking joint members on the upper edge of said door and the lower edge of said removable part, respectively, solidly supporting said. part and. preventmg movement thereof both vertically and to either side,said part'b'eing removable and replaceable by slidingjit lengthwise of said joint, and "means for holding said part against such. lengthwise movement when in place.

'3. In a motor car body, the combination of a door having one of the members of a separable interlocking joint mounted lengthwise on its upper edge, and a removable window casing wholly supported on said door, having the complementary member of said joint mounted lengthwise on its lower edge, said members being undercut and having close engagement so as to hold said casing solidly bothagainst lateral and vertical movement. I

l. In a motor car body, the combination of a door having one of the members of a sliding interlocking joint fixed lengthwise of its upper edge, a removable upward extension supported wholly by said door,.havmg the complementary member of said joint fixed lengthwise of its lower edge, ande spring detent holding said members against relative longitudinal movement.

of a door, a removable upward extension In a motor car body, the combination v thereof, a separable interlocking joint havthereon and constituting an upward extension thereof, said wall and extension having sliding interlocking joint members fixed longitudinally on their meeting edges, an automatic latch carried by one of the parts to engage the other and hold them against relative longitudinal movement, and means acting transversely of said movement to release the latch.

7. In a motor car body, the combination of the door thereof, a removable upward extension supported wholly by the "door, separable slidable interlocking joint inembers on the meetingportions of said parts constituting the means for solidly support- .ing the extension onthe door, an automatic latch on one of the parts, the other part having a recess to be engaged by said'latch, and means operative in said recess to disengage the latch therefrom.

8. In a motor-car body, the combination with a window casing having'thereon one member of a separable joint, a cap-rail provided with a similar member, anda complementary joint member on the wall of the said body adapted for removably support- .in'g either of said parts.

9. In a motor car body, the combination with the door thereof having thereon one of themembers'of a separable joint, of a sash or 'frame and a cap-rail both provided with similar joint members complementary to the door member, and adapted for alternate atcomplete the finish each"adaptedfor asselnblage'with said door by sliding thereon lengthwise of the joint therebetween.

11."A motor-car body having a collapsible. roof or'top and provided withone of the I members of a dove-tail joint on'the. horizontal margin of the wall thereof, in combination with a cap-rail and a window casing eachprovided with a complementary joint member and externally fashioned .tozeomr ple'te the finish of the wall of said body.

. 12. The combination with the wall of a motor car body, apart adapted to form a.

- structural upward extension thereof and a capraiL'said part and rail being each formed for attachment to the body wall by. sliding longitudinally thereon, of a latchbarried by said attachable members to engage a slot in the body wall and alatch releasing device mounted on,the said wall.

13. The combination with the wall of a motor-car body, of a removable part constituting' a structural "upward extension thereof, interlocking joint members on'said- 4 wall and part adapted'to be received one within the other,

the inner member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification .in the presence of two witnesses.

RUSSELL SI'CARTER.

and means for expanding Witnesses:

F. K. ARMs'rRoNo, FFREDK. v. DJLON ACRE. 

